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Priest Target Of Criminal Investigation

Last updated on Thursday, August 2, 2012

(IRELAND) - Father Ron Kreilein, priest at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ireland, Indiana was the target of a criminal investigation involving alleged sexting with a former adult male parishioner who Kreilein at one time was counseling.

Sexting is the exchange of sexually explicit telephone text messages.

No charges were filed by Dubois County prosecutor Kevin Crouse against the 57-year old Kreilein.

But the Evansville diocese has confirmed Kreilein was granted an indefinite leave of absence, during which time he is not ministering to parishioners or performing any other duties of a parish priest. Other members of the diocesan clergy are filling these roles at St. Mary's.

One of the projects at St. Mary's that Kreilein has been spearheading before his leave of absence was the effort to build a new church for the parish.

Ken Kemker, who head's St. Mary's Long-Term Planning committee, says the committee will continue to move forward with its effort to build a new church. Kemker says cost estimates for the new St. Mary's church is between five and six million dollars.

The current church was built in 1904.

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